However, "the Briz-M booster and the two satellites have not been detected on the transition orbit. The signal from the booster has been received from an interim emergency orbit", the agency said in a statement.

Preliminary information showed the Briz-M only had fired for seven seconds rather than the scheduled 18 minutes and 5 seconds.

Due to the failure, all launches of the Proton-M rocket were temporarily suspended pending the end of investigations.